Friday, May 24, 2013

Psychoneuroimmunology & The Placebo Effect

There is an entire legitimate and well-researched branch of
medicine called psycho-neuro-immunology which studies the effect of thoughts and
emotions on human biochemistry.Biologist
Dr. Bruce Lipton actually left his tenured University position to pursue his
research in this fascinating field.

“Until
recently, conventional medicine dismissed the role of the mind in the
functioning of the body, except for one pesky exception - the placebo effect,
which demonstrates that the mind has the power to heal the body when people
hold a belief that a particular drug or procedure will effect a cure, even if
the remedy is actually a sugar pill with no known pharmaceutical value. Medical
students learn that one third of all illnesses heal via the magic of the
placebo effect.With further education,
these same students will come to dismiss the value of the mind in healing
because it doesn’t fit into the flow charts of the Newtonian paradigm.
Unfortunately, as doctors, they will unwittingly disempower their patients by
not encouraging the healing power inherent in the mind.”-Dr. Bruce Lipton, “Spontaneous Evolution”

The placebo effect cures one-third of all illnesses.This is a staggering statistic - It means
that a wide range of health problems can be cured by our minds!In fact many ailments are literally created,
sustained, and eventually healed via completely non-physical processes
involving the mind and emotions.Acne,
allergies, angina pectoris, rheumatoid and degenerative arthritis, asthma,
cancer, the common cold, diabetes, fever, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s
disease, radiation sickness, seasickness, ulcers, and many more diseases have
all been cured using a mere placebo.This
of course strikes another blow at the root of the western medical paradigm which
traditionally teaches health as a purely physical bio-chemical phenomenon.The non-physical psycho-emotional aspects of
health are dismissively disregarded.

“In
numerous cases patients are cured simply by taking the placebo alone and with
no genuine supporting medication whatsoever.This works because the patient sincerely believes, beyond any doubt in
the mind of the patient that the placebo is in fact real medicine that will
cure them.In this case the patient has
subconsciously used their own imagination upon themselves, but the result is
exactly the same, often to the considerable surprise of doctors and all others
concerned; a complete cure.The patient
visualized themselves as being cured as a direct result of taking what they
believe to be an effective medicine, in turn influencing the energy of the
inner bodies, thereby manifesting as an observable cure within the physical body.This process works both ways of course and
there are people who unwittingly become ill due to the subconscious use of
creative visualization and of the imagination generally and thought processes
generally.This occurs when a normally
healthy person strongly believes they are, or should become ill for some
reason, perhaps out of guilt, or for example as happens in the case of someone
considered to be a hypochondriac.This
belief coupled with the person subconsciously and very often intensively
imagining and believing themselves to be ill, will in turn attract that illness.”
-Adrian
Cooper, “Our Ultimate Reality” (563-4)

Experiments have shown that even an injection of caffeine
will put caffeine-sensitive patients to sleep if they believe that they are
receiving a sedative.People with
multiple personalities can change eye color, turn off/on allergies, and even
have multiple menstruation cycles for each personality.Under hypnosis people can control heart rate,
body temperature, visual acuity, and will away scars and birthmarks.If humans are simply biochemical machines as
the western medical paradigm professes, and our beliefs/subconscious plays no
role in bodily health, how can such physical effects possibly come about from
non-physical causes?

“We may not think that a thought could be enough to undermine an
entire system, but, in fact, misperceptions can be lethal. Consider the
situation of a person with anorexia. While relatives and friends clearly
perceive that this skin-and-bones individual is near death, the anorexic looks
in a mirror and sees a fat person. Using this distorted view, that resembles an
image in a funhouse mirror, the anorexic’s brain attempts to control a
misperceived runaway weight gain, by-oops!-inhibiting the system’s metabolic
functions.”-Dr. Bruce Lipton,
“Spontaneous Evolution”

“Even
surgery has been used as a placebo.In
the 1950s, angina pectoris, recurrent pain in the chest and left arm due to
decreased blood flow to the heart, was commonly treated with surgery.Then some resourceful doctors decided to
conduct an experiment.Rather than
perform the customary surgery, which involved tying off the mammary artery,
they cut patients open and then simply sewed them back up again.The patients who received the sham surgery
reported just as much relief as the patients who had the full surgery.”-Michael Talbot, “The Holographic Universe” (90)

Psychologist Shlomo Breznitz at Hebrew University in
Jerusalem performed a telling experiment with several troops of Israeli
soldiers.Each troop had to march 40
kilometers but different groups were given different information.Some groups were told they would march 30
kilometers, and later informed they had another 10 to go, other groups were
told they would march 60 kilometers, but were then stopped after 40.Some groups were allowed to see distance
markers along the way to keep track of how far they had marched; other groups
were not shown distance markers.Once
the 40 kilometers were complete Breznitz performed blood tests and found that
the stress hormone levels in the soldiers’ blood always reflected their
projections and not the actual distance they marched.This experiment shows another example of our
bodies physically responding not to “reality” but to our perception of reality.

“Just as
surely as positive thoughts can heal, negative ones - including the belief we
are susceptible to an illness or have been exposed to a toxic condition - can
actually manifest the undesired realities of those thoughts.Japanese children allergic to a poison
ivy-like plant took part in an experiment where a leaf of the poisonous plant
was rubbed onto one forearm. As a control, a nonpoisonous leaf resembling the
toxic plant was rubbed on the other forearm. As expected almost all of the
children broke out in a rash on the arm rubbed with the toxic leaf and had no
response to the imposter leaf.What the
children did not know was that the leaves were purposefully mislabeled. The
negative thought of being touched by the poisonous plant led to the rash
produced by the nontoxic leaf! In the majority of cases, no rash resulted from
contact with the toxic leaf that was thought to be the harmless control. The
conclusion is simple: positive perceptions enhance health, and negative
perceptions precipitate disease. This mind-bending example of the power of
belief was one of the founding experiments that led to the science of
psychoneuroimmunology.”-Dr. Bruce
Lipton, “Spontaneous Evolution”

“Our ability to control the body
holographic is molded by our beliefs.Our minds have the power to get rid of warts, to clear our bronchial
tubes, and to mimic the painkilling ability of morphine, but because we are unaware
that we possess the power, we must be fooled into using it … No incident better
illustrates this than a now famous case reported by psychologist Bruno Klopfer.”-Michael Talbot, “The Holographic Universe” (93)

Dr. Bruno
Klopfer had exhausted all standard treatments trying to cure a man named Wright
of his advanced cancer of the lymph nodes.Wright’s entire torso from groin to neck was covered in tomato-sized
tumors.His spleen and liver were so
enlarged and toxic that he had two quarts of milky fluid drained out of him
everyday.At his wits end, Wright heard
about an exciting new experimental drug called Krebiozen and begged Dr. Klopfer
to let him try it.At first Klopfer
refused because Krebiozen was in the testing phase and only being tried on
people with very short life expectancies.Regardless Wright was persistent and insisted that they try this
remedy.Eventually Klopfer agreed and
within a week Wright’s tumors “melted like snowballs on a hot stove” to half
their original size, a result far surpassing even the strongest radiation
therapy.Within another week, the tumors
had vanished completely and Wright walked out of the hospital seemingly cancer-free.Later on, after two months of good health,
Wright began reading articles on the internet claiming that Krebiozen actually
had no effect on cancer of the lymph nodes.He started becoming nervous and depressed reading more and more studies
until he suffered a relapse, all the tumors came back and he had to be readmitted
to the hospital.Seeing that Wright’s
hypochondria brought back the tumors, this time Dr. Klopfer decided to try an
experiment.He informed Wright that
Krebiozen in fact was effective on lymph node cancer as they had seen
themselves, but some of the initial supplies had deteriorated during shipping
and that was to blame for the relapse.Furthermore, Klopfer said he just received a new highly concentrated
version of Krebiozen and this time it would work for sure.Wright enthusiastically agreed, rolled up his
sleeve, and his fibbing doctor injected him with a plain water placebo.Miraculously within days Wright’s tumors once
again melted away, his chest fluid emptied, and he was released from the
hospital feeling healthy and symptom-free from the mere water injection.About two months after this the American
Medical Association published their nationwide study of Krebiozen which flatly
stated that the drug had no effect whatsoever on treating cancer.Wright read the study and was
devastated.He immediately lost all faith
in the treatment causing the tumors and chest fluid to come back full force,
and he died two days later.

“One
reason why people who are not aware of true healing cannot be cured is because
they believe in their own mind that only doctors, surgeons and other members of
the medical profession can ‘cure’ an illness.Unfortunately, that very belief will ensure that true healing will not
be effective, due to the fact the true channels of healing will be blocked by
the conscious and subconscious mind, and energy influenced in the same
direction.It is sensible to visit a
doctor with any ailment, and to respect their words and actions, but it is
extremely important to know beyond any doubt the true origin of healing, and to
focus accordingly.Even if you are given
a course of medicine, exercises or even a surgical procedure, view these as
secondary influences while always knowing that the primary and true healing
influence is by virtue of the energy from which we are all made.” -Adrian
Cooper, “Our Ultimate Reality” (571)

13
comments:

I have been locked in my mind for most of my life. Reading your posts over the past year and a half have definitely helped on my journey towards truth and peace. I think because i've dealt with it first hand and deep down i want to heal I am seeking the truth and want to understand why we act the way we do and why we treat ourselves and others the way we do. I've struggled with keeping myself in reality and now after I finally let it hit me, I'm trying to keep myself whole and not be a vampire. Its easy and very difficult at the same time, especially with so many vamps around. Like addiction to escape I suppose. It grew on me and I still fight it and stay low to feel like myself. ... not very constructive I just realized what I wrote... that I stay low... like that is my place.There, I was just low for a long time. Kidding myself, in denial and just feeeling high as I zoned out to cope. Not growing up inside/ maturing emotionally as I grew physically really was debilitating. I wish I could of just seen it earlier. I would get closer every time before going back to self destructiveness. I know only I can change myself, but I have just been weak and sometimes have just thought I finally got it and try my best at life but usually just bring in more hurt by rushing into it and not embodying the emotions I so call go through to finally let my past go.I recently listened to some recordings on how the mind wounds and hurts the body by Mario Martinez and it made so much sense. Very practical stuff that we so easily dismiss for whatever reason. I was damaged emotionally and physically as wellI. Ended up in a hospital once and needed a blood transfusion for severe anemia/from some said autoimmune disfunction and was later diagnosed with a type of arthritis. Then only thinking there was some external cause.

Being shamed, betrayed, abandoned; neglected, sexually abused as a child, shamed for it, shunned when I reached for help. I coped the only way I knew how. As I grew older I tried to just survive mostly, just live, I didnt want to feel and just wanted to be at peace. It made so much sense when I heard that a lot of Buddhist monks suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, which the nueropsychologist Mario Martinez theorizes to be caused from not embodying the feelings. I guess the body knows if the mind and heart really forgives or just intellectually feels it. It was funny to also hear about the strong link between shame and arthritis. Made sense... the first time I felt very ill and the next times I put my feelings aside and "found a new way to be." I'd try again to forgive and move on, find another form of pseudo love and a flare up didnt come to far behind.

It hurt to listen to the psyhic vampirism videos you posted but were very insightful as I felt he spoke about me. I mostly was, am very nuerotic. Have very low self esteem, gave what I could but built walls around myself and never lived up to my full potential. Its been such a hard road out. Especially when I dont have to use narcotics to feel high and can use the crazy environment around me for that, so I sometimes use narcotics to slow things down and feel low. And feel lower when I get low. It helps.I confuse abuse with what is nourturing and what is nourtouring with the abusive. Sometimes the abusive with whats more abusive. Sometimes. But I will keep trying to find that balance instead of going back into the insane asylum I was born into.I know im not perfect, and im not trying to get pity and hugs... I dont know, just wanted to share my story and express my graditude. I am really thankful for finding this blogThanks again for your posts, Eric.

Hi Anon, thanks for the comment. I appreciate the support and encouragement, though I'm very sorry to hear about your unfortunate childhood. That's interesting about arthritis potentially being more of a mental/emotional complex than a physical one for some people. I think you're right to "keep trying to find balance instead of going back to the insane asylum you were born into." I've known several wonderful children born to psychopathic parent(s) and the best thing you can do is get out of their sphere of influence and make contact as little as possible, if at all. Good luck and stay strong bro! :) Peace

As with the comment from anonymous I too was born into an unhealthy family and lost my parents at a young age. I did not eat for many years from age 6 when my mother passed of suicide (treated with valium and other prescribed to control alcoholism - she died of the prescribed combination). Aside the fact of her death my father and step fathers died shortly after of apparent suicide (alcohol and prescriptions to get off alcohol cause both to shoot themselves). I was raised by my grandmother who did not drink or drug or take prescribed meds for this reason. I had eating eating disorders all my life which I believe led to MS at age 18. I was so fortunate finding a physician who was trained in eastern and western medicine. Upon hearing the MRI diagnosis showing positive for MS he said, always remember the disease if of you it doesn't define you. In him saying that it got me to thinking, what else is out there to help my on my healing journey. The diagnosis was progressively getting worse the could be a possibility I would be in a wheel chair or bed ridden by 40 most MS people die of this disease. Yet there was so much unknown information on it. I incorporated a completely different lifestyle a new natural diet, said no to pharmaceuticals, started taking natural healing products (vitamins, minerals, and herbs)and know when my body needed rest. From being bed ridden for 3 or 6 months at a time with no use of my extremities, I had to consider letting my 3 children go, then thought otherwise. What more can I do? I took advice from others, eliminated the negativity from my life (at times it was family members). I tried counseling and it did not prove helpful by constantly being prescribed anti depressants, steroids, sleeping meds. I had to stop as I was getting much worse than before these treatments. I finally took complete control of the situation and outcome. I was starting to feel stronger, healthier and had a much better outlook on life. I recently conducted a health paper for class using MS as my topic. So the point I am getting at is we are in control of our destiny. With complete open minded thinking and collaboration with good natural healers and support group positive changes can be made. I am 46 years old my three children grown in our home and off to post secondary school. It wasn't easy ever but I am a much stronger person for it. I have a full understand for my own health in asking questions to the right people at the right time. I have only positive influences in my life. My outlook is great and I still carry those words from Dr Mah. The disease if of you it does not define you. I am a firm believer of naturopathy also ever persons illnesses are different. Earlier I could barely afford the natural treatment but we always for a way to afford by cutting back on less important things.Today I am healthy, I recently presented a paper on health and was surprised to see the advancements in MS research. I didnt realize at the time I was following the Dr Swank diet my friend told me about. It was this diet and the supplements which improved my health tremendously. Also, good care of my mind health, rest, relaxation techniques and meditation. Today Life is good. I recently lost my brother the same way as our parents, but firmly believe, you are not your surrounding if they are to negatively effect you. You can make change from within. I completely relate with this post and comments and thank you once again Eric for posting excellent topics. I firmly believe we all help one another by being ambassadors in healthy living and telling our stories. I wish you the very best anonymous. A person just needs to seek the information from positive sources.

Thanks so much for the comment Eileen. I've seen you several times on FB but didn't know your story. Congratulations with your health journey and your MS paper, that's awesome :) I appreciate your loyal readership! Peace

Eileen, thank you for sharing your story and encouragement. The food I eat really affects the way I feel too. I have been vegan for two years and it has helped with the healing. I hadn't had a flare up until I started heavily drinking alcohol and treating myself more badly/ giving in to the stress this year. Im 26 years old and still learning to cope. This year and the past weeks has been a combination of extreme highs and lows and really have been a test. My older brother who sexually abused me is getting married in a week. Helping plan the wedding has been difficult for me. Having the mixed emotions, trying to love, feeling rage and bursting to tears almost randomly. I try to be ok with it... but cant say carefully scrolling around with a dip pen addressing their invitations in fancy lettering, helping with decor, and now working on a 24x48" painting for them hasnt weighed on me. I dont know why I agreed to all this and being a part of the wedding party. I dont know if I'll he there, if i am dont know if ill be crying or completely zoned out, maybe be there to see the family that I do love. Scared that the pain hiding it will have me burst in a rage and do something stupid. Just being upset seeing how he moved on and the realization of how negatively I let it all affect me and hold me back. Maybe ill be able to let the shame and let go and this will help me move on... but maybe ill be completely coked out that day. I hope not. Again thank you so much for the encouragement, Eileen and Eric. :)

Hey Maribel, thanks for the message. I'm glad to hear about your compassionate, healthy eating choice and that it has helped to heal. I'm upset however to hear about your selfish, seemingly remorseless older brother. From the sound of it, you are harboring the evil he did to you and you haven't exposed it for the rest of your family to hear. I know the feelings of shame and thoughts of rejection that prevent you from standing strong and exposing your brother for what he did, but it is absolutely necessary! For you to be keeping this to yourself while he and everyone else goes on with their lives is not okay. For you to be superficially planning his wedding, helping send invites, and making paintings for this man who has abused you and not been exposed is not okay. You either need to expose/confront him to everyone in your immediate family or else just cut him off from your life completely and when people start to ask why, you tell them exactly why! Don't be ashamed, embarassed, or afraid, stand strong in your truth and let your light shine on this darkness. I just watched an excellent and relevant video from Stefan Molyneux this morning... this is about abusive parents, but it certainly applies to abusive older brothers:

Thank you. Well I did open up to my mom first when i was fifteen... (I posted the first comment as annon) I just listened to the "what children owe..." video and completely relate. Feeling like I want to keep the bond with my parents but dealing with someone, my mom mostly, who doesnt want to move on and only makes me feel like i am indebted to her. She will always look down upon me and be critical of my life choices but I just want to make it work so bad but it is extremely exhausting and gives me so much anxiety. I did seek counseling last year and spent 6months away from my hometown. I felt so free and was so happy. I know I can get through this, just have to find the next step. Thank you for your encouragement... it means a lot.

Maribel, would you like to come and friend me on facebook? I am not sure if you want to post info on open chat but I would like to offer friendship and kindness. If you locate me through Eric's FB page I would be most willing to be a friend and confidante. Nobody needs go through what you are going thru. Strong boundaries and self care is needed and an outlet to talk it out. I had no luck with counseling but I do know I am a survivor. it is up to you to contact me, if not I understand, but I do know if you want to free yourself from the negativity, it takes patience perseverance and commitment. All which will reward you deeply down the road and give you emotional freedom, my friend. You just have to cut off or restrict what does not serve your best interests. Best Regards, Eileen Coons.

PS: Eric, I received Spiritual Science (going to prepare to read cover to cover in first read, can't wait!!) Lulu has fast service!!

Eric, this is Maribel. I still frequent your site, and as always, wonderful work!

I was wondering if you can delete the comments I put up for this post as they have my name attached to them... Maybe I'm being paranoid but I would appreciate it if you could help me out. It is just something I rather leave in the past. Thank you.

Hey Maribel, thanks for the message :) I'm willing to delete your previous comments, but your request likely means you're still hiding the truth from your family and you're worried they'll come across what you've written here. If you've been the victim of sexual abuse and you're still keeping quiet, I really want to be the one to help you stand up and speak out, not another person who just helps you sit down and shut up.

5 million visitors strong and growing, your comments here are helping other women who may be in a similar situation. Hiding from abusers shows abusers that they can do whatever they want and get away with it; exposing abusers, however, shows them that they cannot and will not escape repercussion for their evils.

Your comments about being "paranoid" and "wanting to leave this in the past" tell me you have not faced and confronted this issue and that you're hoping you can lock the past in a box where it will never affect your present and future. But this coping method is not healthy or sustainable, it never works, and it only helps your abusers.

I'm curious how the wedding went? Are you still giving handmade presents and keeping dark secrets for your abusive brother? If the answer were no, I doubt you would be leaving this comment asking to delete your previous comments. And if the answer is yes, then I want to implore you, for your own best interest, and in the interest of truth, that you break the silence and put a voice to what you've muted up for so long, break free from the paranoia and secrecy instead of asking me to help you mute yourself further, know that you were victimized, but that you refuse to be a victim, that you will be a victor, conquering with the light of truth, that which you've long kept in darkness.

Even if your family will never understand or be on your side, I understand and I'm on your side Maribel, and so are thousands of other readers here who have similar stories. Be strong and confident in the truth, that is the only positive way forward, being paranoid and trying to self-erase will only leave you trapped in the past. Peace, Love and Light to you Maribel!